


Something Smells Fishy

by eeyore9990



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Inspired By Tumblr, M/M, Meet-Cute, Veterinarian Assistant Scott
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-29
Updated: 2015-04-29
Packaged: 2018-03-26 08:24:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,280
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3843958
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eeyore9990/pseuds/eeyore9990
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Based on this idea seen <i>floating</i> (hah, pun) around tumblr:</p><blockquote>
  <p>'You're a vet and I'm pleading with you to save my goldfish and you're the first vet I've visited to not ask me if I'm sure I don't want to go and buy another goldfish for three dollars' au</p>
</blockquote>
            </blockquote>





	Something Smells Fishy

**Author's Note:**

> I knew as soon as I saw this I needed to write it... However, fair warning, I've never been a fish's human, so I have no idea how one goes about keeping a fish healthy. Like, the water checking thing? Yeah, no idea. I spent about thirty seconds on google researching this. :P

The doors to the animal clinic slammed open, a tall, lanky boy with a buzz cut shouldering through them with such a lack of grace that Scott was already sliding his phone out of his pocket to dial 9-1-1, thinking someone had mistaken the animal hospital for a regular hospital.

Again. 

He’d curse stupid in-car GPS systems for putting a little red cross on this location, but he didn’t have time to do so because the boy was suddenly _there_ , slamming a small fish tank on the counter so hard that Scott’s white lab coat got drenched by a wave of fishy water. 

“Please,” the boy pleaded, looking wrecked, “you have to save Kurt. _Please_ , man, I’ll do anything.” 

Scott’s heart, already about the consistency of warm butter on a normal day, simply melted with sympathy when he noticed the tiny little wobble in the boy’s lower lip. Steeling himself, he looked into the bowl, expecting to see a fish gone belly-up. Instead, the most beautiful example of a fancy goldfish he’d ever seen was listlessly twitching its tail, propelling it through the water. 

“He’s only six years old,” the boy said, voice slightly muffled since he was chewing on the side of his thumb nervously, eyes flickering between Kurt the fish and Scott. “Even the low end of his life cycle is eight years and…” The boy choked to a halt, eyes blinking rapidly. “Please help him.” 

Scott reached across the counter, gripping the boy gently by the shoulder as he – really stupidly, considering how much he didn’t know about fish – promised, “I’ll do everything I can to save him.” Carefully picking up the bowl, Scott turned toward the back of the clinic. A little, bitten-off whine made him turn back. “Come on. You being around will help calm him.” 

Scott tried not to wince when the boy heaved himself over the counter, his long legs clearing it easily but his feet dragging just enough to knock three patient files to the floor, scattering their contents. When he froze, lips parted in horror, Scott just shook his head. “Don’t worry about those. I’ll get them cleaned up in a minute. Now, tell me more about your fish. He’s a fancy, right?” 

“Yeah, Chinese goldfish. I… uh. I’ve had him since I was ten. My mom, she… he and Goldie were the last presents she ever got for me.” 

Scott nearly dropped the bowl at that painful little anecdote, but steadied himself in time to push through the double doors to an empty exam room and carefully settle the bowl onto the table. “Oh shit, dude,” Scott said, turning back around now that he didn’t have precious cargo in his hands. “Look, I’m not the actual vet, just his assistant. Deaton’s out for lunch right now and–” 

“But. But you can help me, right? Kurt may not be alive after lunch!” The boy’s hands spazzed in the air between them, his big brown eyes pools of misery. 

“I’ll do everything I can.” Turning back to the fish bowl, Scott pondered it for a minute before he went to get an eyedropper. First thing he should probably do was make sure there wasn’t anything off about the water Kurt was swimming in. 

“I did that,” the boy said in a rush, voice thick. 

Scott looked up, eye dropper pinched between two fingers. “Huh?” 

“Checked the pH balance. The water is fine, the food is the same I’ve been feeding Goldie – and, I mean, same water too, but she’s fine. It’s Kurt. He’s just… he’s been like this for a few days. I tried bringing him to our local vet in Beacon Heights–” 

That explained why Scott didn’t recognize the boy, even though they were probably the same age. 

“–but he just told me to separate him from Goldie so she wouldn’t get sick and flush him when he died. Can you believe that shit?” 

Rage began to form a knot in Scott’s belly, and his indignation was only underscored by the violence with which he huffed on his inhaler. “Oh my god, dude. How horrible… What kind of a monster runs the Beacon Heights clinic?” 

“Dr. Deucalion runs the clinic in Beacon Heights,” a new voice said, causing both Scott and Kurt’s human to startle. It was Deaton, though, which made Scott go nearly weak-kneed with relief. “What do we have here?” 

“It’s a fancy goldfish,” Scott said, quickly stepping aside so Deaton could get a closer look. “Six years old, was healthy until a few days ago when he turned listless. He was sharing a tank with another… Goldie is another fancy gold?” Scott asked. 

“Yeah, she’s his–” 

“Excuse me, gentlemen.” Deaton was calm as a bag of quality weed on a bad day, which made reading him rather difficult, but if Scott was right…. Deaton was actually amused. Turning to Kurt’s owner, Deaton smiled kindly and said, “I didn’t catch your name?” 

“Stiles. Uh, Stilinski. Stiles Stilinski.” As he spoke, Stiles’ voice wavered, like he was bracing himself for bad news. 

“Oh. John’s boy. Well, Mr. Stilinski, let me be the first to congratulate you. In a week or so, your little beauty here will lay a few hundred eggs.” 

Scott’s jaw dropped as he turned to stare at the fish floating around the tank. “He’s pregnant?” 

“ _She_ , Scott. This fish is female.” 

A bright burst of laughter rolled through the room, and Scott raised his eyes to see Stiles staring back, cheeks flushed in a splotchy way that made Scott think the boy might be teetering on the brink of hysteria. It _had_ been a bit of a roller coaster of a day for him. 

“Dude,” Scott breathed, a little awed. “Kurt’s gonna be a mom.” 

“Holy shit,” Stiles said, voice a little wobbly as he wiped a hand over his eyes. “Goldie’s gonna be a dad.” 

“Scott,” Deaton murmured, tugging on the sleeve of Scott’s lab coat. “Perhaps Mr. Stilinski would benefit from a calming cup of tea.” 

Scott felt his lips stretch wide with a grin, happiness filling him. “Oh yeah! Sure. Lemme go set the kettle going–” 

“Nonsense. A clutch of eggs is truly a cause for celebration. Take him across the street. Just charge it to the clinic’s account.” Deaton made shooing motions at him, so Scott just shrugged and led the way out. 

Once they were in the hallway, Scott turned to Stiles and said, “So, yeah, in all the craziness back there, I never introduced myself. I’m–” 

“Scott,” Stiles said, lips twisting into something halfway between a smirk and a grin. “I know,” he added, tapping a finger against the name sewn into the front of Scott’s lab coat. 

Scott felt a rush of embarrassment that was quickly forestalled by Stiles, who scrubbed a hand over the back of his buzzed head and cleared his throat, dropping his gaze from Scott’s. “Thanks, man,” he whispered, voice a little gruff. “You could have easily said the same thing Dr. Duke said. But you…” Stiles bit his lip and shrugged, cheeks mottling with color once more. “I know he’s – _she’s_ – just a dumb fish but–” 

“No.” Scott felt angry anew at those words. “Kurt isn’t just a stupid fish. She’s your pet, a pet you obviously care for, in every sense. I respect your devotion to her. The world would be a better place if all pet owners were as conscientious as you are.” 

Stiles ducked his head but Scott noticed the tiny smile playing around his lips. “Thanks,” he murmured again. 

Nudging Stiles, Scott said, “So. Tea?” 

“Yeah,” Stiles said, bumping shoulders with Scott as they neared the outer doors. “Tea sounds fantastic.”

**Author's Note:**

> (I'm mostly posting this here because I need an accurate word count for my year-to-date word count so I can check in at Get Your Words Out. Haaaaah, I suck.)


End file.
